Call for Self-Nominations : Editor, Cinema Journal

Call for Self-Nominations:

Editor,Cinema Journal

The Society for Cinema and Media Studies (SCMS) seeks a new Editor and a new institutional home, commensurate with the 5-year term of the Editor, for its scholarly publication, Cinema Journal.

Application deadline extended to Friday, September 30, 2016 5PM.

Background and History

Published by the SCMS since 1959, Cinema Journal is the second oldest scholarly publication devoted to the study of film and media studies in the United States.Cinema Journal is published quarterly by theUniversity of Texas Press. Members of the Society receive the journal as one of the benefits of membership. Cinema Journal is open to all areas of humanities-oriented scholarship in media studies. It welcomes submissionson film, television, radio, sound, and digital media. Considered one of the top journals in media studies, the acceptance rate is about 15 percent.

Professional Notes-this online feature lists recent books published in media studies, as well as articles on film and TV published in non-media journals.

Aca-Media- a regular podcast including interviews with scholars about the articles in the current print issue

Afterthoughts and Postscripts- an online feature that invites authors of the feature articles to comment and reflect on their published work

Cinema Journal also has a number of online partnerships, including In Media Res, conference reports in association with Film Criticism, an active social media presence on Facebook and Twitter-including full-color, full-size images from the current journal - regular Teaching Dossiers on teachingmedia.org, and the video essays journal [In]Transition.

SCMS represents the interests of scholars in cinema and media studies through an international constituency that numbers over 2500 members. The organization is also a member of the American Council of Learned Societies.

Description and Policies of Cinema Journal

All essays submitted to Cinema Journal are blind refereed by between one and three reviewers, depending on outcome. In addition to scholarly essays, Cinema Journal publishes a section of thematically connected, short solicited essays as part of its In Focus section, Professional Notes, an Archival News column, and essays on teaching,

General Position Description

The Editor of Cinema Journal is primarily responsible for processing submissions, procuring readers, and corresponding with authors.The Editor also copyedits all manuscripts before submission to the University of Texas Press and insures that Cinema Journal's various sections are submitted in a timely and professional manner.He or she also procures guest editors for the In Focus feature and assigns authors to write shorter features such as conference reports. The Editor, with the support of an Online Editor, manages content for the journal's online platforms and liaises with its partners.

The Editor is assisted by a masthead team comprising an Associate Editor, a Book Review Editor, an Online Editor and Assistant Editors, and supported further by an editorial board. In addition, the Editor is expected to receive support from his/her home institution.

Editor's Term and Obligations

The Cinema Journal Editor is selected by the SCMS Board of Directors. The Editor serves a five-year term, which may be renewed.That five-year term is preceded by a one-year transitional period spent working with the outgoing Editor, the parameters of which are at the discretion of the incoming/outgoing Editors. The Editor is responsible for selecting an editorial board, whose members also serve a five-year term, subject to the approval of the SCMS Board of Directors.

The Editor serves as ex officio member of the SCMS Board of Directors. He/she attends all Board meetings (ordinarily three times each year) and reports to the Board on issues concerning Cinema Journal at these times. As part of the application process, the Editor submits a statement of interest, outline of his/her qualifications, and vision for the journal to the Board for its approval. Apart from approving the policy and the Editor's proposed editorial board and masthead team, the Board has no jurisdiction over the editorial content of Cinema Journal.

Benefits

Association with Cinema Journal, one of the most renowned peer-reviewed national and international journals in film, television, and media studies,offers the Editor a distinguished administrative and creative position in the field. He or she also joins the Society for Cinema and Media Studies Board and becomes part of a collegial cohort that determines policy and other issues for the largest organization in the field. In addition, the Editor's association with Cinema Journal provides him or her unparalleled familiarity with major issues of scholarly and disciplinary concern and in-depth knowledge of cutting-edge research. At the same time, being Cinema Journal Editor enhances the visibility and prestige of his or her institution in the field. Further, this position provides graduate student assistants and other students associated with the activities of the Editor a unique professional experience and an understanding of scholarly standards and conventions in cinema and media studies.

Role of the Host Institution

The institution that houses Cinema Journal must supply the Editor with suitable office space, a computer, postage, office supplies, photocopying, an email account, and a long-distance telephone. A part-time graduate student assistant should be assigned as Assistant Editor, to help with proofreading, manuscript processing, correspondence, inquiries, clerical duties, and other miscellaneous duties. The Editor may also procure assistance from interns. The Editor should also be granted some course release time by his/her home institution.

The host institution supports the Editor's travel expenses to the annual SCMS conference each spring. At the conference, the Editor shall attend the Board of Directors' meeting that is held on Wednesday, and chair a meeting with the Cinema Journal Editorial Board at some point during the conference. The Editor will also represent the journal at several SCMS meetings, and more generally among the SCMS community to include visiting Caucus and SIGs, and interacting informally with scholars as the main representative of Cinema Journal. SCMS also encourages the host institution to cover expenses incurred by the Editor in connection with the other two board meetings scheduled each year, one in early summer, and one in the fall.A letter of support to SCMS from the host institution is required prior to assuming the Cinema Journal Editor position.

Timeline

The SCMS Board of Directors will ideally make its selection of a new Editor by early November, 2016.The new Editor will begin his/her transition role on January 1, 2017, will be charged with preparing the first issue in the fall of 2017, and begin full tenure as Editor onJanuary 1, 2018. This one year period between selection and appointment will allow for a smooth transition between the current and the new Editor. It will also ensure that the new Editor is fully conversant with his/her responsibilities and with the work flow of the journal itself (since In Focus and book reviews are assigned well in advance of their publication).

Please submit the following documents to the SCMS Board of Directors by September 30, 2016: a current curriculum vitae,a statement of interest in the position (2 pages maximum), a statement summarizing your qualifications for the position (5 pages maximum), and a statement of vision for the journal, including its online platforms (3 pages maximum) and a minimum of three professional references to include contact information.

Submissions are to be directed via email or regular mail to one of the following addresses: